Bad Thermoworks customer service experience with Signals, Smashing success with Fireboard
- Thread starter KpaxFAQ
- Start date
drunkenmeatfist
is Blowin Smoke!
I got my threads confused. I was talking about your reply to stlsportster in the thread about Signals releasing a fan soon.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272613
Hey brethren,
I received an email from the Executive VP of Sales and Marketing today making everything right. I'm in the process of responding to him and am going to update the first post with the details.
OK I can't edit the original post anymore, could an admin possible add the following to it so it's the first thing people read after my original story?
UPDATE 6/3/19
I received an email from Tom Fisher, Executive VP of Sales and Marketing at Thermoworks. Here it is.
"I've read through your emails, and I'm am terribly sorry for the trouble you've had getting Signals to work at your home. Firstly, I apologize that this was not escalated sooner per your request and per your frustration level. Normally it would be escalated at the first sign of customer frustration. We are using your example to retrain some of our staff, who typically does a world-class job. We have an environment of learning and feedback and rest assured the feedback was given.
So...absolutely if the product doesn't work as advertised, and you want a full refund, we'll give you the full refund asap.
What I'm wondering is if you'd be willing to have me send you out a brand new one and let one of my senior tech support guys get on the phone with you to see if we can figure out what's going on. Clearly it's not signal strength, but could possibly be some frequency or channel switching or other odd setting that we might be able to learn something from. We've really had great success with Signals and haven't really seen the signal dropping problem you're experiencing, so our product team would be interested to learn about what might be happening. I'd be happy to send out some free accessories to try with it for your troubles.
Of course, if you are done dealing with this, I totally understand and will issue a full refund asap.
If you'd prefer to talk this through on the phone, I'd be happy to talk with you as well.
Best Regards,
Tom"
I replied
"Thank you for reaching out to me. Your products are so rock solid that I've never had to contact you guys for any help in the past. I really wanted this to work and felt I went the extra mile before throwing the towel in for a return. Posting any negative feedback about the whole thing was the last thing I wanted to do but it seemed to be the last resort. I appreciate your offer to refund the rest of my purchase. Your response has restored my faith as a longtime customer and I'll chalk up my previous experience to an isolated incident. I will update the original thread I started at bbqbrethren.com with this positive outcome to be completely fair to you guys.
While I would of gladly accepted your offer to try another unit and to work directly with a senior tech guy during my issues, I've since moved on to another product that is working well. I would just like the rest of the refund at this point."
I stand by what I said to him that my faith as a longtime customer has been restored but I'm not going to return the perfectly functioning Fireboard at this point to try and get the signals to work right.
I received an email from the Executive VP of Sales and Marketing today making everything right. I'm in the process of responding to him and am going to update the first post with the details.
OK I can't edit the original post anymore, could an admin possible add the following to it so it's the first thing people read after my original story?
UPDATE 6/3/19
I received an email from Tom Fisher, Executive VP of Sales and Marketing at Thermoworks. Here it is.
"I've read through your emails, and I'm am terribly sorry for the trouble you've had getting Signals to work at your home. Firstly, I apologize that this was not escalated sooner per your request and per your frustration level. Normally it would be escalated at the first sign of customer frustration. We are using your example to retrain some of our staff, who typically does a world-class job. We have an environment of learning and feedback and rest assured the feedback was given.
So...absolutely if the product doesn't work as advertised, and you want a full refund, we'll give you the full refund asap.
What I'm wondering is if you'd be willing to have me send you out a brand new one and let one of my senior tech support guys get on the phone with you to see if we can figure out what's going on. Clearly it's not signal strength, but could possibly be some frequency or channel switching or other odd setting that we might be able to learn something from. We've really had great success with Signals and haven't really seen the signal dropping problem you're experiencing, so our product team would be interested to learn about what might be happening. I'd be happy to send out some free accessories to try with it for your troubles.
Of course, if you are done dealing with this, I totally understand and will issue a full refund asap.
If you'd prefer to talk this through on the phone, I'd be happy to talk with you as well.
Best Regards,
Tom"
I replied
"Thank you for reaching out to me. Your products are so rock solid that I've never had to contact you guys for any help in the past. I really wanted this to work and felt I went the extra mile before throwing the towel in for a return. Posting any negative feedback about the whole thing was the last thing I wanted to do but it seemed to be the last resort. I appreciate your offer to refund the rest of my purchase. Your response has restored my faith as a longtime customer and I'll chalk up my previous experience to an isolated incident. I will update the original thread I started at bbqbrethren.com with this positive outcome to be completely fair to you guys.
While I would of gladly accepted your offer to try another unit and to work directly with a senior tech guy during my issues, I've since moved on to another product that is working well. I would just like the rest of the refund at this point."
I stand by what I said to him that my faith as a longtime customer has been restored but I'm not going to return the perfectly functioning Fireboard at this point to try and get the signals to work right.
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drunkenmeatfist
is Blowin Smoke!
I'm proud of you.
rwalters
Quintessential Chatty Farker
I for one am relieved to hear this! Surely hope this does not become a repeat story. I absolutely love my TW products and would hate to have to walk away from the company because of customer service shenanigans. Thanks for updating us!
"We are using your example to retrain some of our staff, "
Which means:
Somebody is getting schooled, or packing a file box with her stuff.
Glad they see the error of somebodies ways. But your's is not an isolated case.
:clap:
Which means:
Somebody is getting schooled, or packing a file box with her stuff.
Glad they see the error of somebodies ways. But your's is not an isolated case.
:clap:
Dang, this is more widespread then I thought.
Add me to the list of bad experience with Thermoworks. I've had nothing but good up until when I picked up my MK4. The needle was off and would not go into the notch so I poked myself a few times grabbing it. I contacted them and they wanted to me to ship it back on my own dime. I was like what???????? Mind you this was a brand new MK4 and NOT an open box or anything. So much for warranty.
Now, I would've got my way but wasn't in a fighting mood so I tried bending the needle to align it right. Over a few days I slowly aligned it and the needle eventually set in right (like it was supposed to
)
I have a ton of stuff from them and gifts I bought for family but I'm done.
Add me to the list of bad experience with Thermoworks. I've had nothing but good up until when I picked up my MK4. The needle was off and would not go into the notch so I poked myself a few times grabbing it. I contacted them and they wanted to me to ship it back on my own dime. I was like what???????? Mind you this was a brand new MK4 and NOT an open box or anything. So much for warranty.
Now, I would've got my way but wasn't in a fighting mood so I tried bending the needle to align it right. Over a few days I slowly aligned it and the needle eventually set in right (like it was supposed to
)I have a ton of stuff from them and gifts I bought for family but I'm done.
EyeBurnEverything
is Blowin Smoke!
Dang, this is more widespread then I thought.
Add me to the list of bad experience with Thermoworks. I've had nothing but good up until when I picked up my MK4. The needle was off and would not go into the notch so I poked myself a few times grabbing it. I contacted them and they wanted to me to ship it back on my own dime. I was like what???????? Mind you this was a brand new MK4 and NOT an open box or anything. So much for warranty.
Now, I would've got my way but wasn't in a fighting mood so I tried bending the needle to align it right. Over a few days I slowly aligned it and the needle eventually set in right (like it was supposed to
I have a ton of stuff from them and gifts I bought for family but I'm done.
Damn. I got my $75 on sale grey MK4 and i like the long probe. My $20 Taylor works just as good. So if this MK4 ever gives me problems, i will go back to Taylor.
Hey folks. I'm a retired HVAC guy that started out feeding my family after 4 years in the USAF back in 74-78. Got out when Carter was President with a young Wife and infant Daughter. Used my G.I. bill to attend 4 hour a night, night school for HVAC for another year in Electronics while working as a fork lift driver during the day.
After graduating both courses, went to work in Residential HVAC. Yeah! Good money for my Family! Crawling through 140*F attics and on rooftops for 5 years. Good money but it was killing me. Thought there had to be a better way by the age of 28 years.
That's! When temp control started going electronic rather than pneumatic! I just happened to hit the beginning of Digital Temperature Control! Thanks to my limited education in electronics, I had the only 286 DOS based laptop interface at our company for the new Carrier DDC comfort control.
After 5 years, was recruited to the big leagues. Trane Shreveport. I've spent the last 22 years learning temp control. Most of it for schools, manufacturing, military bases and most importantly Hospitals where air flow and temp variations in an Operating Room can mean the difference between life and death for the patient.
I said all that to say this, Thermoworks does not use cheap electronic components. They are the best built and tested temp wise available. They use K-type temp sensors which are far more accurate than the resistance type probes used by most competitors. Not knocking any of them. I do think Thremoworks is late to the party as far as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are concerned because technology changes so fast and Thermoworks refuses to rush a product to market until Throughly Tested. I bame it on the bean counters.
Lastly, I've done some product testing for Ink Bird. Nice units and very accurate. Just my .02.
Hey! It's BBQ! Have Fun!
After graduating both courses, went to work in Residential HVAC. Yeah! Good money for my Family! Crawling through 140*F attics and on rooftops for 5 years. Good money but it was killing me. Thought there had to be a better way by the age of 28 years.
That's! When temp control started going electronic rather than pneumatic! I just happened to hit the beginning of Digital Temperature Control! Thanks to my limited education in electronics, I had the only 286 DOS based laptop interface at our company for the new Carrier DDC comfort control.
After 5 years, was recruited to the big leagues. Trane Shreveport. I've spent the last 22 years learning temp control. Most of it for schools, manufacturing, military bases and most importantly Hospitals where air flow and temp variations in an Operating Room can mean the difference between life and death for the patient.
I said all that to say this, Thermoworks does not use cheap electronic components. They are the best built and tested temp wise available. They use K-type temp sensors which are far more accurate than the resistance type probes used by most competitors. Not knocking any of them. I do think Thremoworks is late to the party as far as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are concerned because technology changes so fast and Thermoworks refuses to rush a product to market until Throughly Tested. I bame it on the bean counters.
Lastly, I've done some product testing for Ink Bird. Nice units and very accurate. Just my .02.
Hey! It's BBQ! Have Fun!
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They need to do more than that to regain me as a customer. If it took this much to get a simple problem resolved until I see the CEO come on here and say here's how warranty issues will be taken care of from now on I'm shopping elsewhere.
What Inkbird model is wifi? I only see bluetooth and wireless but not wifi.
sarth67
Full Fledged Farker
I messed around with several other cheap solutions. It would have been cheaper to just get the fireboard right off the bat. Learned my lesson and love my Fireboard.
Interesting thread. I also love my Fireboard, but have also had great luck with both of my Thermapen Mk4s. Even though you're going to keep the Fireboard, I'm happy that Thermoworks reached out to you to make it right.
Did extensive research before buying a wireless. I'd loved my Thermopens and thought I would be buying a Thermoworks wireless also. Looking at reviews of Thermoworks and Fireboard wireless products I noticed a lot of very angry customer posts on Thermoworks wireless products. Especially on the application software reviews in Playstore. I went with Fireboard.
My Fireboard wireless has exceeded my expectations on many levels, particularly on how well integrated their software. I've used it for months now on lots of cooks and it has performed flawlessly. Best part is having all your cook data available on your phone remotely or pc at home. Not only in 5 second real time data points but you can pull up detailed cook information history super easily which has proven invaluable. Fireboard is definitely the one to buy.
My Fireboard wireless has exceeded my expectations on many levels, particularly on how well integrated their software. I've used it for months now on lots of cooks and it has performed flawlessly. Best part is having all your cook data available on your phone remotely or pc at home. Not only in 5 second real time data points but you can pull up detailed cook information history super easily which has proven invaluable. Fireboard is definitely the one to buy.
Shouldn't have any problems. They are dependable when there aren't issues from the get go.
